Cessna 150M accident near Montrose, Colorado, July 8, 2000
On July 8, 2000 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N4723, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montrose, Colorado (Montrose Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent stall/mush. Factors were high density altitude, weight and balance exceeded, and pilot fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2000 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado · Montrose Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N4723 · no longer on the register · serial 150M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a full power check of the engine and adjusted the mixture prior to takeoff. Not wanting to overheat the cylinders during climbout, he enriched the mixture 'a little.' The pilot said after lifting off, 'it became apparent at around 250 feet that the power was deteriorating and I leaned the mixture a little and made a shallow rudder turn to the right, hoping to pick up speed and get a gradual climb, when the engine quit and the plane mushed to the ground, stalled, and crashed.' Engine examination disclosed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. When questioned by an FAA inspector at the hospital, the pilot said there was 'nothing wrong with the engine,' and that all engine instruments appeared to be normal during the takeoff and climb. He admitted he had not performed weight and balance calculations, nor had he consulted the Cessna 150 PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK for high altitude performance data. It was computed the airplane was 32.8 pounds over maximum gross weight (1,600 pounds), and the density altitude was 7,844 feet msl. The pilot also admitted that 'a sleepless night clouded [his] judgment.'
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 770 hours in all; 699 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 770 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,824 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 7, 2000; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTJ at 3:05 pm
- Destination: BDG Blanding UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 8,497 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from MTJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.